U.S. patent application number 13/348536 was filed with the patent office on 2012-05-24 for resealable closure with package integrity feature.
Invention is credited to Olav Dagestad, Ron Exner, Alexis Julian Gracia-Lugo, Gladys Odette Sierra-Gomez.
Application Number | 20120125932 13/348536 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39148801 |
Filed Date | 2012-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120125932 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sierra-Gomez; Gladys Odette ;
et al. |
May 24, 2012 |
RESEALABLE CLOSURE WITH PACKAGE INTEGRITY FEATURE
Abstract
A resealable package integrity closure includes a film layer
forming a top of a container and a flap defining an access opening.
A sealing panel completely covers the flap of the film layer. A
releasable adhesive is provided on either or both the film layer
and the sealing panel for adhering the sealing panel to the film
layer. The sealing panel is releasable from the film layer by
pulling the sealing panel back in a peeling direction and
reclosable against the top to seal the access opening when the
sealing panel is moved back against the top. A coating of
transferable material is provided on either the sealing panel or on
the film layer, which is transferable therebetween to provide a
visual indication that the closure has been previously opened.
Inventors: |
Sierra-Gomez; Gladys Odette;
(Woodbrige, NJ) ; Exner; Ron; (Icking, DE)
; Dagestad; Olav; (Oslo, NO) ; Gracia-Lugo; Alexis
Julian; (Bloomingdale, NJ) |
Family ID: |
39148801 |
Appl. No.: |
13/348536 |
Filed: |
January 11, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11616386 |
Dec 27, 2006 |
8114451 |
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13348536 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/255.1 ;
206/557; 220/255; 220/359.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/1433 20150115;
B65D 75/5838 20130101; B65D 2401/60 20200501; Y10S 206/807
20130101; B65D 2401/55 20200501 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/255.1 ;
220/359.1; 220/255; 206/557 |
International
Class: |
B65D 17/28 20060101
B65D017/28; B65D 85/60 20060101 B65D085/60; B65D 51/18 20060101
B65D051/18; B65D 51/00 20060101 B65D051/00; B65D 53/00 20060101
B65D053/00 |
Claims
1. A package having a package integrity enclosure comprising, a
top, an access opening in the top and a sealing panel which covers
the access opening and sealingly engages the top around the access
opening so as to originally seal the package and then, after having
been opened a first time, be resealable against the top, and
wherein one of the facing engaging surfaces of the top and the
sealing panel has a coating which, upon initial opening of the
package, adheres to the other of the top and sealing panel to
provide an indication that the package has been previously
opened.
2. The package of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive applied
to at least one of the top and the sealing panel.
3. The package of claim 2, wherein a bond strength between the
adhesive and the coating is stronger than a bond strength between
the coating and either the sealing panel or the top.
4. The package of claim 1, wherein the coating is selected from the
group consisting of paint and ink.
5. A package integrity indicating closure, the closure comprising:
a film layer forming the top of a container and having a flap
defining an access opening to gain access to the contents of the
container; a sealing panel completely covering the flap of the film
layer; releasable adhesive provided on either or both the sealing
panel or on the film layer for adhering the sealing panel to the
film layer, the sealing panel being releasable from the film layer
by pulling the sealing panel back in a peeling direction and
reclosable against the top to seal the access opening when the
sealing panel is moved back against the top; and a coating of
transferable material on either the sealing panel on a surface
thereof facing the film layer or on the film layer on a surface
thereof facing the sealing panel, the coating being transferable
from the sealing panel to the film layer or the film layer to the
sealing panel to thereby provide a visual indication that the
closure has been previously opened.
6. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein a
bond strength between the releasable adhesive and the coating is
stronger than a bond strength between the coating and the film
layer.
7. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 6, wherein a
bond strength between the releasable adhesive and the film layer is
stronger than a bond strength between the coating and the sealing
panel.
8. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein a
bond strength between the releasable adhesive and the coating is
stronger than a bond strength between the coating and the sealing
panel.
9. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein a
bond strength between the releasable adhesive and the coating is
greater than a bond strength between the film layer and the
coating.
10. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein
the coating is along a perimeter of the sealing panel.
11. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein
the coating is along the film layer in a location directly under
the perimeter of the sealing panel.
12. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein
the coating is of a different color or pattern than that of the
film layer.
13. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 5, wherein a
perimeter edge of the sealing panel is nonlinear.
14. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 13, wherein
the perimeter edge of the sealing panel is zigzag patterned.
15. A package integrity indicating closure, the closure comprising:
an at least two-ply material comprising a first film layer
adhesively joined to a second film layer; a first tear line formed
into the first film layer, defining a first panel for providing an
access opening through the first film layer when separated from the
first film layer along the first tear line; the second film layer
having a second layer tear line defining a sealing panel which
completely covers the first panel; the sealing panel releasably
adhered to the first film layer such that the sealing panel is
separable from the first film layer to expose the access opening;
and a coating of transferable material on either the sealing panel
on a surface thereof facing the first film layer or on the first
film layer on a surface thereof facing the sealing panel so that
upon opening the closure a portion of the coating is transferred
between the sealing panel and the first film layer to provide a
visual indication that the closure has been opened after the
sealing panel has been peeled back from the first film layer for a
first time.
16. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 15, wherein
the coating is selected from the group consisting of paint and
ink.
17. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 15, wherein
the second tear line is in the form of a non-straight line.
18. The package integrity indicating closure of claim 17, wherein
the second tear line is in a zigzag pattern.
19. A package integrity indicating food container comprising: a
tray; an at least two-ply material comprising an inner layer
adhesively joined to an outer layer to form a top over the tray,
the top formed to provide an access opening for access to food
items disposed in the tray; the inner layer having a first panel,
the outer layer having a sealing panel formed therein which
completely covers the first panel, the first panel and the sealing
panel being permanently joined to each other to form the access
opening into the container; a coating of transferable material on
either the outer layer adjacent the access opening on a surface
thereof facing the inner layer or on the inner layer, on a surface
thereof facing the outer layer; and a releasable adhesive provided
on either or both the inner layer on a perimeter outside the first
panel or on the sealing panel which lies thereover for adhering the
sealing panel to the inner layer, the sealing panel being
releasable from the inner layer by pulling the sealing panel layer
back in a peeling direction and reclosable against the top to seal
the opening when the sealing panel is moved back against the top,
whereby, upon opening the closure for a first time, at least a
portion of the coating is transferred between the outer layer and
the inner layer to provide a visual indication that the closure has
been opened.
20. The integrity indicating food container of claim 16, wherein
the food items are selected from the group consisting of cookies,
crackers, peanuts, cheese, sliced meats and semi-solid foods.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of prior application Ser.
No. 11/616,836, filed Dec. 27, 2006, which is hereby incorporated
by reference as if reproduced in its entirety herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a resealable closure for
packages storing articles and, more particularly, resealable
closures for packages having a package integrity indicator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Some containers for food products, such as cookies and other
snacks, typically include an outer wrapper. In one type of
container, the wrapper surrounds a frame which acts as a tray to
hold the food product and to protect the food product from damage.
Other food products come packaged in plastic trays, such as
thermoform trays which are sealed on the top using some type of
lidding material. One recent advancement in the art of food
container closures includes a resealable closure disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,918,532 (hereinafter "the '532 patent"), herein
incorporated by reference, which discloses a wrapper which forms a
top of the container, which has an access opening covered by a
resealable sealing panel.
[0004] In the packaging art, different methods have been used to
indicate whether a package has been previously opened or whether
the integrity of the package has been compromised, which is often
referred to in the art as "tamper-evident." For example, in the
tissue wipes packaging art of U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,867 (hereinafter
"the '867 patent"), a means for indicating package integrity
includes a tamper-evident tab with one or more ink layers which is
initially an integral part of a sealing panel prior to the package
being opened for a first time. The tab is transferred with one of
the ink layers from the sealing panel to the top of the package
when the closure has been opened for a first time. Tamper-evidence
is indicated in a misalignment of the sealing panel with an image
on the transferred tab, which is visible through a transparent
outer layer of the sealing panel, after the sealing panel has been
resealed to the top of the package.
[0005] There is a need for improvement in the art for package
integrity indicators for a resealable closure, preferably suitable
for use with a resealable closure for containers or packages
containing food items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention generally relates to a resealable
closure for a container formed from a two-ply material, which has a
package integrity indicator in the form of a coating of material,
such as ink or paint, which transfers between a sealing panel and a
film layer disposed therebelow when the container has been opened
for a first time.
[0007] The present invention, in one form, comprises a package
integrity closure comprising a film layer forming a top of a
container and having a flap defining an access opening to gain
access to the contents of the container. A sealing panel completely
covers the flap of the film layer. A releasable adhesive is
provided on either or both the sealing panel or the film layer for
adhering the sealing panel to the film layer. The sealing panel is
releasable from the film layer by pulling the sealing panel back in
a peeling direction and reclosable against the top to seal the
access opening when the sealing panel is moved back against the
top. A coating of transferable material is disposed on either the
film layer adjacent the access opening on a surface facing the
sealing panel or on the sealing panel on a surface facing the film
layer. The coating is transferable from either the film layer or
sealing panel to the sealing panel or the film layer, respectively.
The coating transfer occurs without a transfer of a portion of the
film layer or sealing panel bonded to the coating when the sealing
panel is pulled back from the film layer for a first time to
thereby provide a visual indication that the closure has been
previously opened. The sealing panel can either be a top layer of a
multilayer material forming the top of the container, such as the
container disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/500,497,
herein incorporated by reference, or a discrete label applied over
a film layer forming the top of the container, such as the
container of the '532 patent. Further, the perimeter edge of the
sealing panel can be either linear or nonlinear such as a zigzag
pattern.
[0008] Advantageously, the coating of transferable material is a
different color or pattern than that of the film layer or sealing
panel. If the coating is initially applied to the sealing panel,
evidence that the closure has been previously opened is observable
in the form of a partial outline of the coating transferred to the
film layer adjacent the sealing panel, which is visible due to a
slight misalignment of the sealing panel with the film layer when
the sealing panel is reapplied to the top of the container upon
closure. If the perimeter edge of the sealing panel is nonlinear,
such as a zigzag pattern, a slight misalignment of the zigzag
pattern between the sealing panel and the film layer will be
visible as a slightly misaligned pattern.
[0009] A secondary evidence of package integrity is provided in the
form of a reduction in peel force between the sealing panel and the
film layer after the closure has been previously opened and
subsequently resealed due to a deadening effect resulting from the
transfer of the coating from the sealing panel or film layer to the
adhesive on the opposite surface or the transfer of adhesive with
coating material from either the film layer or sealing panel to the
opposite surface.
[0010] The present invention, in another form thereof, concerns a
package integrity indicating closure comprising an at least two-ply
material comprising a first film layer adhesively joined to a
second film layer. A first tear line is formed in the first film
layer defining a first panel for providing an access opening
through the first film layer when separated from the first film
layer along the first tear line. A second film layer having a
second layer tear line defines a sealing panel which completely
covers the first panel. The sealing panel is releasably adhered to
the first film layer, such that the sealing panel is separable from
the first film layer to expose the access opening. A coating of
transferable material is on either the sealing panel on a surface
facing the first film layer or on the first film layer facing the
sealing panel so that upon opening the closure, a portion of the
coating is transferred from between the second film layer and the
first film layer to provide a visual indication that the closure
has been opened after the sealing panel has been peeled back from
the first film layer for a first time.
[0011] The present invention, in another form thereof, concerns a
package integrity indicating closure for a container comprising an
at least two-ply material comprising an inner layer adhesively
joined to an outer layer and forming a top of the container. The
inner layer has an inner layer panel and the outer layer has a
sealing panel formed therein, which completely covers the inner
layer panel. The first panel and the sealing panel are permanently
joined to each other to provide an access opening into the
container. A releasable adhesive is provided on one or both the
sealing panel and the inner layer for adhering the sealing panel to
the inner layer. The sealing panel is releasable from the inner
layer by pulling the sealing panel back in a peeling direction and
reclosable against the top to seal the opening when the sealing
panel is moved back against the top. A coating of transferable
material is on either the sealing panel or on the inner layer
facing the sealing panel so that upon opening the closure, a
portion of the coating is transferred from between the sealing
panel and the inner film layer to provide a visual indication that
the closure has been opened after the sealing panel has been peeled
back from the inner layer for a first time.
[0012] The present invention, in another form thereof, relates to a
package integrity indicating food container comprising a tray and
an at least two-ply material comprising an inner layer adhesively
joined to an outer layer to form a top over the tray. The top is
formed to provide an access opening for access to the food items
disposed in the tray. The inner layer has a first panel and the
outer layer has a sealing panel formed therein, which completely
covers the first panel. The first panel and sealing panel are
permanently joined to each other to form the access opening into
the container. A coating of transferable material is on either the
outer layer adjacent the access opening on a surface facing the
inner layer or the inner layer facing the sealing panel. A
releasable adhesive is provided on either or both the inner layer
on a perimeter outside the first panel or the sealing panel, which
lies thereover for adhering the sealing panel to the inner layer.
The sealing panel is releasable from the inner layer by pulling the
sealing panel layer back in a peeling direction and reclosable
against the top to seal the opening when the sealing panel is moved
back against the top whereby, upon opening the closure for a first
time, a portion of the coating is transferred from between the
outer layer and the inner layer to provide a visual indication that
the closure has been opened.
[0013] Food items disposed in the container may include cookies,
crackers, peanuts, cheese, sliced meats and semi-solid foods.
[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention are
stated in or apparent from detailed descriptions of the presently
preferred embodiments of the invention found herebelow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package including an
exemplary closure prior to an initial opening, according to the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2A is the package of FIG. 1, shown in a partially
opened condition;
[0017] FIG. 2B is a partial enlargement of the package of FIG. 1,
after the package has been opened and subsequently closed;
[0018] FIG. 2C is an enlarged partial plan view of a package,
similar to the one of FIG. 1, with an alternative sealing panel, in
accordance with the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a sealing panel with
attached film layer flap of the package of FIG. 1, as viewed from
below, in its initial condition;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the top of the package of
FIG. 1, with the sealing panel not shown, prior to the package
being opened;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure of FIG. 1, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure, similar to FIG. 5, depicting an initial opening of the
closure;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another package including an
exemplary closure prior to an initial opening, according to another
embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 8A is the package of FIG. 7, shown in a partially
opened condition;
[0025] FIG. 8B is a partial enlargement of the package of FIG. 7,
after the package has been opened and subsequently closed;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a partial plan view of a sealing panel with
attached film layer flap of the package of FIG. 7, as viewed from
below, in its initial condition;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a partial plan view of the top of the package of
FIG. 7, with the sealing panel not shown, prior to the package
being opened;
[0028] FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure of FIG. 7, taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 7;
[0029] FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure, similar to FIG. 11, depicting a resealed configuration of
the closure after the initial opening;
[0030] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another package including
an exemplary closure prior to an initial opening, in accordance
with another aspect of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 14A is the package of FIG. 13, shown in a partially
opened condition;
[0032] FIG. 14B is a partial enlargement of the package of FIG. 13,
after the package has been opened and subsequently closed;
[0033] FIG. 15 is a partial plan view of a sealing panel with
attached film layer flap of the package of FIG. 13, as viewed from
below, in its initial condition;
[0034] FIG. 16 is a partial plan view of the top of the package of
FIG. 13, with the sealing panel not shown, prior to the package
being opened;
[0035] FIG. 17 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure of FIG. 13, taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 13;
[0036] FIG. 18 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the
closure similar to FIG. 17 depicting an initial opening of the
closure; and
[0037] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another package, including
a closure that has been opened, in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] Referring to the figures and, in particular, FIGS. 1-6,
there is shown package 10 with closure 11, which incorporates a
package integrity feature. Package 10 includes a two-ply wrapper
comprising a first, inner film layer 12 and a second, outer film
layer 13, forming a top or upper surface 14, sides 16, lower
surface (not shown), and crimped ends 18, 19. The inner film layer
12 and outer film layer 13 are formed from a polymeric film or
other flexible material that has been cut, folded or otherwise
pressed to define an inner space or receptacle for receiving the
desired product, such as food items, to be provided within the
package 10. Package 10 can be used to store and distribute food
items such as cookies, crackers, candy or other items. The outer
film layer 13 may include graphics or other indicia to identify the
contents of the package 10.
[0039] Advantageously, the inner film layer 12 is coextensively
formed and adhesively joined to the outer film layer 13. During the
manufacturing of package 10, the inner film layer 12 is die cut
along first tear line 20 and the outer film layer 13 is die cut
along a second tear line 21, as disclosed in U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2005/0276525, herein incorporated by
reference.
[0040] The first tear line 20 is formed as a continuous tear line
to define a panel 22. The panel 22 is separated from the remainder
of the inner film layer 12 to expose an opening 24 (FIGS. 2A, 4 and
6), whereby access to the contents of the package 10 may be
gained.
[0041] The second tear line 21 defines sealing panel 26 of the
outer film layer 13. The sealing panel 26 extends beyond the
periphery of the first tear line 20, adjacent to the opening 24, so
that the sealing panel 26 completely covers and extends beyond the
perimeters of the panel 22.
[0042] The side of the sealing panel 26 which faces the inner film
layer 12 is coated with a releasable adhesive 27 (see FIGS. 2A, 3,
5 and 6) so that the sealing panel 26 may be releasably secured to
the inner film layer 12 at a position adjacent to the panel 22.
Alternatively, or along with resealable adhesive 27, resealable
adhesive 27 can be coated on the inner film layer 12 adjacent the
outside perimeter of the panel 22. The releasable adhesive can be
any pressure sensitive adhesive which allows resealing and
includes, but is not limited to, the adhesives disclosed in U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0144911, herein
incorporated by reference. The sealing panel 26 is provided with a
tab 30 or other gripping feature which is not coated with the
adhesive 27 so that the sealing panel 26 may be peeled back from
the inner film layer 12 to open the package 10.
[0043] A coating of transferable material 28, such as ink or paint,
is disposed or otherwise printed on a perimeter edge 34 of the
sealing panel 26 on top of the adhesive 27. Coating 28 is any
appropriate transferable paint or ink known in the packaging art
including but not limited to those disclosed in U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2006/0257599, herein incorporated by
reference.
[0044] Alternatively, coating 28 can be applied directly to the
sealing panel 26 rather than on top of adhesive 27. Adhesive 27 can
either be applied to the sealing panel adjacent the coating only or
on top of the coating as well.
[0045] Adhesive 29 is applied along the inner film layer 12
approximate the second tear line 21. Adhesive 29 can be any known
adhesive in the art which, advantageously, has a bond strength
between the adhesive 29 and the coating 28 which is greater than
the bond between the coating 28 and the sealing panel 26 and the
bond between coating 28 and adhesive 27. When the closure 11 is
opened for a first time, a portion of the coating 28 will be
transferred from the sealing panel 26 to the adhesive 29 covered
portion of the inner film layer 12, as will be discussed in greater
detail below.
[0046] In an alternative embodiment, there is no adhesive 29
applied along the inner film layer 12. Instead, coating 28 forms a
sufficiently strong bond with the inner film layer 12 such that
upon opening closure 11 for a first time, some or all of the
coating 28 will be transferred from the sealing panel 26 to the
inner film layer 12.
[0047] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first panel 22 is separated
from the remainder of the inner film layer 12 along the first tear
line 20 and remains adhered to the sealing panel 26 as the sealing
panel 26 is peeled back in a peeling direction indicated by arrow
32 (FIGS. 2a and 5) to open the package 10. After the contents of
the package have been accessed and it is desired to reseal the
package 10, the sealing panel may be reapplied to the inner film
layer 12, approximately in its original position, as depicted in
FIG. 2B. Because the sealing panel 26 extends beyond the periphery
of the panel 22, the releasable adhesive 27 disposed thereon
facilitates the resealing of the package 10 with the panel 22
positioned over the access opening 24.
[0048] In addition, when the sealing panel 26 is peeled away from
the inner film layer 12 to separate the panel 22 for a first time,
a portion of the coating 28, namely transferred coating 28a, is
separated from the sealing panel 26 and remains or adheres to the
adhesive 29 disposed on the inner film layer 12. Advantageously,
the color of the coating 28 is different than the color of the top
surface of the package 10. Although a residual amount of coating 28
is depicted, alternatively, all of coating 28 can be transferred
from the sealing panel 26 to the inner film layer 12.
[0049] Referring specifically to FIG. 2B, when the sealing panel 26
is reapplied to the top of the package 10, due to inevitable slight
misalignment of the sealing panel 26 relative to the inner film
layer 12, a portion of the transferred coating 28a will be visible
and thus indicate that the package 10 has been previously
opened.
[0050] In addition to the visual indication, package integrity is
further evident after the package has been previously opened and
resealed due to a deadening effect of adhesive 29 due to the
transfer of the coating 28 thereto. As a result, the transferred
coating 28a deadens the adhesive 29 along the portions where the
coating 28a has been transferred. Consequently, a previously opened
package, having a deadened portion of the adhesive 29, is easier to
open a second and subsequent time than it is initially.
[0051] An alternative embodiment to package 10 is depicted in FIG.
2C where like elements are raised by 100. Package 110 is shown as a
partial plan view and is identical to package 10, except the tear
line in the outer film layer 121 has a zigzag pattern rather than
the linear tear line 21 of package 10. All other features of
closure 111 are identical to those of closure 11. Following an
initial opening and resealing of closure 111, the transfer coating
128a will appear as a misaligned zigzag pattern with the pattern of
second tear line 121, thus indicating that the closure 111 has been
previously opened.
[0052] Referring now to FIGS. 7-12, in an alternative embodiment
where like elements to the package 10 have been increased by 200,
package 210 includes closure 211, a film layer 214 forming the top
sides and crimped ends 218, 219. The film layer 214 is die cut
along tear line 220. A sealing panel 226 is adhesively sealed to
the top surface of package 210.
[0053] Referring now specifically to FIGS. 9 and 10, FIG. 9 shows
the sealing panel 226 with flap 222 and FIG. 10 shows the top of
package 210 with the sealing panel not shown for simplification to
illustrate the various layers and surfaces prior to an initial
opening of the closure 211. A coating of transferable material 228
is initially disposed around the perimeter of opening 224 on film
layer 212, in a similar manner as coating 28 is applied to package
10. Advantageously, the coating 228 is applied to portions of the
film layer 212 that will be in direct contact with a releasable
adhesive 227 of the sealing panel 226 when the sealing panel is
placed over top 214 of package 210. Advantageously, the coating 228
has a weaker bonding strength to the film layer 212 than the bond
strength of the coating 228 to the releasable adhesive 227.
[0054] When the sealing panel 226 is pulled back for a first time,
some or all of the coating 228, for example, transferred coating
portion 228a, will be transferred from the film layer 212 to the
releasable adhesive 227, thus deadening those portions of the
adhesive 227 now covered with transferred coating 228a, as shown in
FIGS. 8a and 12. The transfer of the coating 228 to the sealing
panel 226 provides a visual indicia to alert customers that the
sealing panel 226 has already been peeled back, thus providing
indicia of package integrity, as shown in FIG. 8A. In addition,
package integrity is provided by a reduction in peel force between
the sealing panel 226 and the film layer 212 due to the deadened
areas of the adhesive 227 where the coating 228a has now been
transferred after the package 210 has been previously opened. It
should be noted that the coating 228 can be deposited partially or
totally around the perimeter of the access opening 224. In
addition, further visual indicia is provided by viewing a portion
of coating 228 observable when viewing the top 214 of package 210
due to slight misalignment of the sealing panel 226, as shown in
FIG. 8B.
[0055] An additional alternative embodiment of a package with a
package integrity feature, in accordance with the present
invention, is provided in FIGS. 13-18, where like elements to those
of package 10 are increased by 300. Package 310 is identical to
package 210, except that rather than a coating of transferable
material being initially applied to the film layer 214, a coating
of transferable material 328 is first applied to the perimeter edge
334 of the sealing panel 326 prior to applying a releasable
adhesive 327, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 17. Advantageously, the
coating 328 can be applied to the back surface of sealing panel 326
using reverse printing. Advantageously, portions of the print layer
of coating 328 are specially treated so as to weaken a bonding
strength between the coating 328 and the label face stock of the
sealing panel 326.
[0056] When the package 310 is opened for a first time, a portion
of the adhesive 327 bonded to the coating 328 will be transferred
from the sealing label 325 to the film layer 312 to form
transferred coating 328a to the top of the package 310. (See FIGS.
15-18.) As a result, the transfer coating 328a creates a visual
indicia on the top 314 of the package 310, which is visible due to
slight misalignment of the sealing panel 326 with the film layer
312 when the sealing panel 326 is returned to its flat position, as
shown in FIG. 14B. In addition, there will be a reduction in peel
force between the sealing panel 326 and the film layer 312 after
the package 310 has been opened and resealed for a first time due
to portions of the sealing panel 326 missing portions of the
adhesive 327, which is now transferred to the top 314 of the film
layer 312 with coating 328a.
[0057] While FIGS. 1-18 show and describe closures 11, 111, 211 and
311 as forming the opening of a wrapper which defines packages 10,
110, 210 and 310, the closure may form a top of other packages
having resealable openings, such as those described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/193,613, herein incorporated by reference
and, thus, the closure can form a closure over a thermoform tray
having a sealing panel or layer as a lidding material over the top
of the tray.
[0058] Referring to FIG. 19, where like elements to those of the
embodiments of FIGS. 1-6 are increased by 400, package 410
comprises a thermoform tray 460 which forms sides 416 and ends 461,
462. A two-ply film material comprising an inner film layer 412 and
outer film layer 413 are sealed to flange 463 of the thermoform
tray 460. Like packages 10, 110, 210, 310, pulling back tab 430
separates the sealing panel 426 from the outer film layer 413 and
separates the panel 422 from the inner film layer 412.
[0059] As with package 10, package 410 has a coating of
transferable material 428 deposited on the perimeter 434 of the
sealing label 426 and adhesive 427 formed around the perimeter of
the inner film layer 412 adjacent the second tear line 421, which
lies directly underneath the coating 428 when the sealing panel is
laid flat on the top 414 of the package 410. Like package 10,
peeling back the sealing panel 426 for a first time transfers a
portion of the coating 428 to adhesive 429. When the sealing panel
426 is returned to its flat position, a portion of the transferred
coating 428a will be visible when viewing the top of the package
410, due to a slight misalignment of the sealing panel 426 with the
inner layer 412, in a similar manner as with package 10.
[0060] Although package 410 is described as having closure 411,
package 410 can incorporate any of the closures 11, 111, 211 and
311. It will now be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art
that the present resealable package with package integrity features
provides advantages not found in prior packages.
[0061] Although the invention has been described above in relation
to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be
effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention.
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